Best California Colleges

Ranked list of Colleges and Universities in California for 2024

With its desirable climate, dynamic cities, huge economy and reputation the global leader in technology, California is a highly desirable state for students to choose to attend college. The state is home to world-renowned research universities like Stanford and CalTech. The University of California (UC) system has ten campuses serving over a quarter of a million students. The UC system is home to the extremely competitive and rival colleges UCLA and UC Berkeley. The CSU system is the largest public four-year university system in the US and enrolls nearly a half million students per year. Also significant is the California Community Colleges system, the largest of its kind, which serves 2.1 million students through its 2-year programs at 116 colleges. Notable highly rated small liberal arts schools like Pomona, Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna also call the Golden State home.

There are 312 colleges and universities in California enrolling 2,399,742 students. Explore the list of top colleges in California below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in California offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.

 California is home to nationally ranked institutions like Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College. The highest ranked college in California is Stanford University and the top rated public state college is University of California Los Angeles.

Local college options can be explored in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco or other cities.

California Public Private For-Profit 4 year 2 year

312 results

List of the Best California Colleges

Pacific Oaks College
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P
Pasadena, CA
 

Pacific Oaks College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 1,068enrollment
  • -net price
  • 40%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Pacific States University
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P
Los Angeles, CA
 

Pacific States University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 17enrollment
  • -net price
  • 33%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Pacific Union College
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P
Angwin, CA

Pacific Union College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 870enrollment
  • $21,841net price
  • 48%acceptance rate
  • 990-1200SAT range
  • 18-23ACT range
  • 3.24Estimated Avg GPA

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Palo Verde College
P
Blythe, CA
 

Palo Verde College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 4,639enrollment
  • $16,835net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Palomar College
P
San Marcos, CA

Palomar College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 17,655enrollment
  • $8,476net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Pasadena City College
P
Pasadena, CA

Pasadena City College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 21,923enrollment
  • $4,420net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Pitzer College
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P
Claremont, CA

Pitzer College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 1,212enrollment
  • $39,809net price
  • 18%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 3.93Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Platt College San Diego
P
San Diego, CA
 

Platt College San Diego

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 69enrollment
  • $29,641net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Porterville College
P
Porterville, CA
 

Porterville College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 4,113enrollment
  • $7,268net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Santa Ana College
S
Santa Ana, CA
 

Santa Ana College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 23,852enrollment
  • $4,700net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Apr 1

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College of the Redwoods
R
Eureka, CA

College of the Redwoods

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 4,006enrollment
  • $7,634net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Rio Hondo College
R
Whittier, CA
 

Rio Hondo College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 16,139enrollment
  • $6,099net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Aug 20

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Riverside City College
R
Riverside, CA

Riverside City College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 19,147enrollment
  • $6,428net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

Applications Due Oct 20

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Sacramento City College
S
Sacramento, CA

Sacramento City College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 17,719enrollment
  • $7,199net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Saddleback College
S
Mission Viejo, CA

Saddleback College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 16,660enrollment
  • $6,940net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Samuel Merritt University
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S
Oakland, CA
 

Samuel Merritt University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 1,911enrollment
  • -net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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San Diego City College
S
San Diego, CA

San Diego City College

Public 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 12,144enrollment
  • $6,933net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Golf Academy of America Carlsbad
G
Carlsbad, CA
 

Golf Academy of America Carlsbad

Private 2 Year

0 reviews

 

  • 118enrollment
  • $27,481net price
  • 100%acceptance rate
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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